Driving Assistance Method and Device for a Vehicle for Travelling Along a Predetermined Path Between a First Point and a Second Point

Abstract

The invention relates to a driving assistance device ( 100 ) for a vehicle that is to travel along a defined run between a first point and a second point. The invention is characterized by the fact that the assistance device comprises generator means for generating a curve of optimum driving profiles seeking to optimize the energy consumed by the vehicle in order to travel along the run and to optimize the time taken to travel along the run, means ( 180 ) for determining a current driving profile at a current position of the vehicle, means ( 220 ) for determining an optimum driving profile for the current position from the curve of optimum profiles, a comparator ( 300 ) for determining a difference between the current driving profile and the optimum driving profile for the current position, and means ( 320 ) for correcting the driving profile of the vehicle as a function of the difference (εt)) as determined.

1 . A method of assisting the driving of a vehicle for traveling along a run defined between a first point and a second point, wherein there is provided a curve of optimum driving profiles seeking to optimize the energy consumed by the vehicle in order to travel along the run and the time taken to travel along the run, in which method, while the vehicle is traveling, the following steps are performed:
 determining a current driving profile at a current position of the vehicle;   determining an optimum driving profile for the current position from the curve of optimum profiles;   determining a difference between the current driving profile and the optimum driving profile for the current position; and   correcting the driving profile of the vehicle as a function of the difference as determined.   
     
     
         2 . The driving assistance method according to  claim 1 , wherein the curve of optimum driving profiles is determined from a digital map of the run. 
     
     
         3 . The driving assistance method according to  claim 2 , wherein the digital map comprises the longitude, the latitude, and the altitude of a plurality of points constituting the run. 
     
     
         4 . The driving assistance method according to  claim 2 , wherein the curve of optimum driving profiles is also determined from the positions of objects having coordinates contained in the digital map of the run. 
     
     
         5 . The driving assistance method according to  claim 1 , wherein the curve of optimum driving profiles is also determined from the running time needed to travel the distance from the first point to the second point as reset relative to the extent the vehicle is early or late relative to its intended arrival time at the second point. 
     
     
         6 . The driving assistance method according to  claim 1 , wherein the current driving profile is determined from parameters intrinsic to the vehicle at the current position, said intrinsic parameters comprising at least one magnitude selected from fuel consumption, engine speed, vehicle speed, engine torque, and acceleration of the vehicle at the current position. 
     
     
         7 . The method of assisting the driving of a vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the current position of the vehicle is detected. 
     
     
         8 . The driving assistance method according to  claim 7 , wherein the optimum driving profile for the current position is determined while taking account of the presence of obstacles on the run as detected by telemetry. 
     
     
         9 . The driving assistance method according to  claim 7 , wherein the optimum driving profile for the current position is also determined from the mass of the vehicle at the current position. 
     
     
         10 . The driving assistance method according to  claim 1 , wherein there is provided a new curve of optimum driving profiles between the current position of the vehicle and the second point if the difference determined at the current position is greater than a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         11 . The driving assistance method according to  claim 10 , wherein the new curve of optimum driving profiles is calculated from parameters intrinsic to the vehicle at the current position, said intrinsic parameters comprising at least one magnitude selected from fuel consumption, engine speed, vehicle speed, engine torque, and vehicle acceleration at the current position. 
     
     
         12 . The driving assistance method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second points corresponds to a stopping point for the vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The driving assistance method according to  claim 1 , wherein the difference is sent to a man-machine interface in order to provide the driver of the vehicle with a signal representative of the difference. 
     
     
         14 . A driving assistance device for a vehicle that is to travel along a defined run between a first point and a second point wherein said device comprises a curve generator for generating a curve of optimum driving profiles seeking to optimize the energy consumed by the vehicle in order to travel along the run and to optimize the time taken to travel along the run, a system for determining a current driving profile at a current position of the vehicle, a system for determining an optimum driving profile for the current position from the curve of optimum profiles, a comparator for determining a difference between the current driving profile and the optimum driving profile for the current position, and means for correcting the driving profile of the vehicle as a function of the difference as determined. 
     
     
         15 . The driving assistance device according to  claim 14 , wherein the curve generator includes a digital map of the run. 
     
     
         16 . The driving assistance device according to  claim 15 , wherein the digital map comprises the longitude, the latitude, and the altitude of a plurality of points making up the run. 
     
     
         17 . The driving assistance device according to  claim 15  wherein the digital map further comprises the coordinates of the positions of objects also used by the curve generator for generating the curve of optimum driving profiles. 
     
     
         18 . The driving assistance device according to  claim 14 , wherein the system for determining the current driving profile is suitable for acquiring parameters intrinsic to the vehicle at the current position, said intrinsic parameters comprising at least one magnitude selected from fuel consumption, engine speed, speed and acceleration of the vehicle at the current position, and vehicle mass. 
     
     
         19 . The driving assistance device according to  claim 14 , wherein it further comprises a detector device for determining the current position of the vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The driving assistance device according to  claim 14 , wherein the system for determining the optimum driving profile for the current position further comprise distance measuring means for detecting the presence of obstacles on the run. 
     
     
         21 . The driving assistance device according to  claim 14 , wherein the system for determining the optimum driving profile for the current position further comprise sensors for measuring the mass of the vehicle at the current position. 
     
     
         22 . The driving assistance device according to  claim 14 , wherein it further includes an updating system for calculating a new curve of optimum driving profiles between the current position of the vehicle and the second point if the difference is greater than a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         23 . The driving assistance device according to  claim 22 , wherein the updating system is suitable for acquiring parameters intrinsic to the vehicle at the current position, said intrinsic parameters comprising at least one magnitude selected from fuel consumption, engine torque, engine speed, and the speed and the acceleration of the vehicle at the current position (R(t)). 
     
     
         24 . The driving assistance device according to  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first and second points corresponds to a stopping point for the vehicle. 
     
     
         25 . The driving assistance device according to  claim 14 , wherein the system for correcting the driving profile of the vehicle as a function of the difference as determined, further comprises a man-machine interface for providing the driver of the vehicle with a signal representative of the difference.